Brassicas

Plants in the brassica family.

Ais forArugula

Arugula, also known as rocket, is a leafy green plant. It is a kind of salad herb with peppery, slightly bitter leaves.

People often eat arugula raw in salads or on sandwiches. It can also be cooked in soups or mixed into warm dishes.

Bis forBok Choi

Bok choi, also called pak choi, is a type of leafy vegetable. It looks like a small cabbage with crunchy white stems and dark green leaves.

People often eat it cooked, such as in stir fry, soup, or steamed dishes.

Bis forBroccoli

Broccoli is the unopened flower of a kind of cabbage. It is closely related to the cauliflower.
Broccolini is a type of vegetable that looks like small broccoli with long, thin stems. It has green florets, and it tastes a little like broccoli, but often milder. You can steam, roast, or stir fry broccolini.
Brussels sprouts are a member of the cabbage family, which is why they look like tiny cabbages. They are usually cooked whole, boiled, steamed or roasted. If you overcook them they release chemicals that don't taste very good, so you should only cook them for about 6-7 minutes.

Cis forCabbage

The cabbage is a vegetable. People eat the leaves of the cabbage, not the flowers or roots.

Cis forCanola

Canola is a member of the cabbage family and is grown for the oil in its seeds. Canola was origninally called rape, from the Latin word rapum which means turnip. The modern 'canola' is short for Canadian Oil Low Acid, as it was bred quite recently in Canada to be better tasting.
Cauliflowers are a member of the cabbage family. The part of the cauliflower that we eat is a very dense, white mass of unopened flowers. Cauliflowers are very similar to broccoli.
Cauliflower are usually cut up into bite-sized pieces, and then steamed, boiled or stir-fried. They can be used in a wide variety of dishes. Cauliflowers go well with white or cheese-based sauces.
Daikon radish is a type of radish that grows as long white roots.

Daikon radish is often eaten raw in salads or sliced into thin pieces. It can also be pickled or cooked in soups and stir fries. It has a mild, slightly spicy taste and a crunchy texture.
Horseradish is a plant with a thick, white root. People use the root as food because they like its strong, spicy taste.

You can find horseradish in jars or as prepared sauce. It is commonly served with roast beef and other meats, or mixed into sandwiches and dips. The spicy flavor comes from the root when it is grated or crushed.

Kis forKohlrabi

Kohlrabi is a kind of cabbage that looks a bit like a turnip. Kohlrabi can be green or purple and has a mild flavor.
Komatsuna is a kind of leafy green vegetable. It is also called Japanese mustard spinach or Asian greens. It looks like small, tender leaves and stems.

People often use komatsuna in salads, soups, and stir-fry dishes. It is popular in Japan and is sold in many Asian markets. The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, and they taste mild and slightly peppery.

Mis forMustard

There are several different kinds of mustard plant. They are in the same family as canola, turnips and cabbages. A field of mustard flowering looks very much like a field of canola flowering.
Mustard is grown mainly for its seeds, although the leaves can be eaten too. Mustard seeds are ground up and mixed with vinegar and sometimes other spices to make the mustard you can buy in shops. Depending on the type of mustard used, mustard paste can be very sharp or very mild. Sometimes mustard, called wholegrain mustard, is made from the whole seeds of the mustard plant and a little oil instead of crushing the seeds to a paste.

Ris forRadish

Radishes are an edible root vegetable. They come in a variety of colors, with the most common being red and white. The root of the radish is crisp and has a sharp peppery flavour, with some radish varieties being hotter than others.
Radishes are most commonly used in salads, and can be preserved by pickling them. Radish leaves and seeds are also edible but not as many people eat them as eat the root.

Tis forTurnip

A turnip is an edible root vegetable. Turnips are quite hard, and are usually used in soups, stews or mashed. Turnips are a member of the cabbage family.
Watercress is a type of green leafy plant that grows in or near water. It has small leaves and a peppery, fresh taste.

People use watercress in salads and sandwiches, and sometimes in soups. It grows in clean, flowing streams and rivers, and it may also be grown in gardens or farms on wet ground.